At last, a proper consortium emerges ready to move into TV news

The bidding process for regional TV news pilot schemes has proved to be somewhat tortuous. But today's news of the Trinity Mirror/Press Association/Ten Alps joint bid shows that they have not been put off by the lengthy procedure.

After all, there's the lure of public money, which is likely to come from the BBC licence fee, and a definite desire to see the creation of new multi-platform news organisations.

The three groups hope to win the nod from the department of culture, media and sport to supplant the current ITV news service in the north-east, where Trinity's papers - such as the Newcastle Journal and the Teesside Evening Gazette - have a strong base, despite falling print sales.

Sly Bailey, Trinity's ceo, clearly sees the advantages of getting into TV ahead of any possible change of mind by the government about its current cross-media ownership restrictions.

A new logo for a new news consortium

It was also clever to get into bed with Ten Alps, which is already running two good internet channels, the council-funded Kent TV and Fermanagh TV in company with the Impartial Reporter in Enniskillen, plus a number of business-to-business channels. It's also a leading producer of factual TV.

Evidently, additional partners are likely to be involved too, so its chances of winning the bid look pretty good.

But there will be others before the process comes to a conclusion in February next year. The Daily Mail & General Trust likes the idea of the pilot taking place in the south-west, so it will doubtless stitch together a rival consortium.

The Guardian Media Group - owners of the Manchester Evening News and the city's local TV service Channel M - may well fancy its chances in the north west.

And there will be bids too for similar pilot launches in Scotland and Wales. All very exciting - but what a slow process?